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Small Business Articles from Make-it-Fly®
 Are
You Flying Solo?
Your Own Advisory Board
Can Help
By Victoria Munro
Printable version
“There is no
such thing as a self-made man. You will reach
your goals only with the help of others.” -- George
Shinn
Flying solo
can be lonely and sometimes scary. Statistics
confirm that being in business on your own is risky.
In addition to the constant steam of demanding daily
tasks and stressful financial challenges, it’s
all too easy to just get bogged down with busyness.
After a few years in business, we often find owners
working longer hours than they’d planned and not
having much fun. Their business, personal and family
life is seriously out of balance.
We weren’t designed
to fly solo. As a rule, the Lone Ranger mentality
doesn’t work well for small business owners, especially
in today’s rapidly changing world, where we need
to keep current in: technology, legal, accounting, the
Internet and marketing, etc. To
avoid a crash landing and enjoy the ride, we need co-pilots.
An Advisory Board Can Be the Answer
You’re more likely to
succeed if you surround yourself with knowledgeable,
supportive, encouraging colleagues. Daily, we
watch small business owners thrive in a community of
like-minded business people committed to helping each
other.
Powerful Pluses of a Peer Advisory
Board:
| 1. |
Gives
you needed fresh perspectives and new ideas you
can implement right away. |
| 2. |
Provides
honest feedback—a safe place to share what’s
going on and your future plans, and get input and
help solving problems. |
| 3. |
Supplies
the support and encouragement we all need. |
| 4. |
Keeps
you focused and accountable to do what you’ve
committed to do. |
| 5. |
Expands
your network of valuable connections and resources. |
| 6. |
Commits
you to work on, not just in your
business. |
| 7. |
Enables
you to give back to others using your talents and
experience. The saying “You make a living
by what you get, but you make a life by what you
give” is true. |
Though we run Make-it-Fly®
Advisory Boards and Alumni Advisory Boards, these may
not be right for you, or there may not be an Advisory
Board in your area. We recommend you either join an
existing Advisory Board or build your own mastermind
group. Invite those you know
and trust, those who have similar values to your own
and ideally those who have a business at the same level
as yours.
Steps to Build Your Board
| Step
One |
Take
the initiative, be a leader, and select and invite
your board members. |
| Step
Two |
Share
your purpose and plan for group members. |
| Step
Three |
Decide
on the best schedule for everyone and agree on common
goals for the group. |
| Step
Four |
Assign
a facilitator for each meeting. |
| Step
Five |
Review
progress and assess whether you’re achieving
the objectives you set. |
Flying Solo isn’t the best way to go!
Having your own Advisory Board provides a serious forum
to improve your skills, gain fresh perspectives, valuable
new insights and receive encouragement as you build
your business. We need one
another and flourish with supportive people around us.
As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much.”
(595 words)
© 2005-2008 Victoria Munro.
Click here
for printable version.
About the Author: Victoria Munro is
co-founder (along with husband Dave Block) of Make-it-Fly®
LLC, a company dedicated to creating success for
small-business owners through creatively designed programs
and tools. Victoria has started and run nine different
businesses. To receive FREE business success articles
with tips to help you with your business, sign up for
their award-winning ezine, “In-Flight Refueling,”
at: www.Make-it-Fly.com,
and receive a free copy of the eBook, Get
More Done in Less Time: 101 Quick and Easy Time Tactics
& Tips.
You’re welcome to “reprint”
this article in your ezine, print publication
or on your website, as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the “about the author”
info at the end). Please send a copy of your reprint
to info@make-it-fly.com.
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